The Ravine
by Natalie H.D
Summary: The Black One has terrorized the ravine for far too long. Who will get rid of this menace and save the ravine's inhabitants? My idea of Rocket's life before he was an experiment. In other words, a long time ago.


The ravine was the home of the large black snake. All of the animals which lived in the neighborhood of the ravine were afraid of the long, silent killer. When the-who was called the Black One by the small animals- was out of its hole hunting, the mice rabbits and ground birds were very quite.

This spring there were nine eggs that had been hatched and small black snakes had been produced. These small killers were loved by the Black One. Live food had to be found by each of the baby snakes, for they could not be fed by the mother snake..

They could not be shown how to glide silently through the tall grass or how to lie still and let the baby rabbits play near them until they were close enough to be bitten and wrapped in tight coils.

It was very dangerous for all of the small creatures who lived in the wooded ravine. The babies were warned by their parents said didn't seem important to them.

After a large number of the babies who lived in the ravine had been eaten, all the parents were called to gather at the edge of the woods. A decision had to be made about what to do about the Black One and her young.

When there had been much discussion by the parents of the small animals, it was decided to hire a raccoon to come and kill the black snakes.

But, there was a problem. What would a raccoon want for pay? Clover was offered by the rabbits. Nuts were offered by the squirrels. Worms were offered by the moles. Seeds were offered by the mice. Of course, none of the offering was right for payment to a raccoon.

A suggestion was made by a mother quail. "Why don't we ask the raccoon what he'll want to be paid to work for us? Then what he wants can be gathered by us to pay him."

His was thought to be a good idea by the other animals. The plan was agreed upon by everyone. The raccoon would be invited to come and meet with the animals.

In the shade of the meeting tree, on the day of the meeting, the raccoon met all of the parents of the small animals. In the center of the clearing there was a large stump. On this sat the raccoon. All around him were the worried parents. He was asked by them what he would want to kill the snakes.

He said," I ask in payment a warm, dry tree by a river full of fish with a small burrow underneath and an herb garden. That is what I would like in payment."

The parents of the small animals agreed. They promised to start work as soon as it was safe. So the raccoon told them his plan.

That night the raccoon made his way to the Black One's lair. It was a cool night so the Black One would be in its cave to keep warm. The hole would be too small for the raccoon to get in so he started to dig her out. The Black One tried to escape but the raccoon was quick and as soon she appeared he bit down hard on her neck. He shook her so hard that all the Black One was now was a limp black rope. One snake down, nine to go. Soon there was only two left to get rid of. Suddenly there were two glittering eyes in the coming towards the raccoon. Picking off snakes one at a time was fine, but two together would be dangerous. That is why the raccoon asked for help from his friend the mongoose as back-up. The raccoon had promised to share his house with the mongoose. The pair began to search in earnest for the last two snakes.

Almost before dawn the pair had cornered the last two snakes. The black snakes struck out at the same time. Both animals dodged.

So it went on that the snakes attacked and the hunters dodged until on snake got a hold of the raccoon. At that precise moment the mongoose moved as quickly as lightning and killed the other snake before the one caught in the raccoon's fur could let go. By that time the raccoon had gotten rid of the last snake by shaking himself so furiously that the force broke the snakes back.

As the sun rose and shone its light into the ravine many small animals came out and cheered the tired heroes. While the raccoon and mongoose slept the rabbits, mice, muskrats, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds started to work on the den as promised. Even the minks and otters helped out by finding the perfect spot by the river.

So the raccoon and mongoose settled down nicely. No snake dared slither into the ravine again or if it did, it did not stay long.


End file.
